


he jumped into the fire, to save me from myself

by junipersand



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Post-Crimson, The Crimson, can we stop that, why are bbh and skeppy's tags their real names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:00:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29328936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junipersand/pseuds/junipersand
Summary: The egg was gone, and so was Bad.Everyone tells Skeppy that he's gone, but he never listens to anybody.
Relationships: Skeppy & BadBoyHalo
Comments: 12
Kudos: 112





	he jumped into the fire, to save me from myself

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Being_Delirious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Being_Delirious/gifts).



> feeding my polyplatonic gfs with more angst. i'm surprised they haven't strangled me in my sleep yet.

The last few months were like a muddled dream. Like a hallucination meant to play his nerves like a fiddle. For months, his body wandered the land while his mind was kept under lock and key, the world around him becoming a secondary reality to him – or whatever that means. His body wasn’t his; he was being controlled like a puppet in strings. Only the role he played was a lifeless, living zombie, walking the lands and spreading the accursed disease.

Skeppy wouldn’t lie to anyone who asked him about his Corruption. He would admit that he hadn’t been trying to break out of his moving comatose state, as he’d lost to the Egg’s Voices a long time ago. He didn’t make any move to try to break out, preferring sweet lies over bitter truth. An illusion where he and Bad were still at the borders of Munchy and Invaded, a time where they needn’t worry about wars and death. Where they could never be separated from each other.

He was weak and he knew it. He wasn’t like Puffy and Quackity, who actively fought against the Egg. They were brave and strong, and definitely confident in themselves to trust their instincts over their hearts. It was what made the Egg so dangerous – it probes through your mind and promises you sickly euphoria. It knew how to get in your head and make you obey its orders, regardless of your own wants. He would know. He was the first to be fully submerged in its lies.

If it wasn’t for Sam, Purpled and Puffy’s combined efforts, he never would have been brought back. He did not have free will nor the motivation to fight back, but he could disappear like rats disappearing in sewers. Once he’s gone, it’s nearly impossible to find him again. They could only wait for the right moment, and they seized it well. The first thing he woke to was a trio of unfamiliar-familiar faces, but no _Bad_.

He asked where his best friend was. He wanted to see him. He wanted to talk to him. They had so much to catch up on after Skeppy was taken over. But they shook their heads and sighed, telling him they needed his help. Now that they’ve saved him, he’s the only one that could bring Bad back to them.

If only if it were that simple.

Ever since Skeppy was free from its control, Bad had noticeably disappeared from fights. The guards protecting the egg were never the same; alternating between Punz, Ant, Ponk, Philza, Hbomb, Niki, but never once had the demon made an appearance. The egg’s first voluntary devout follower was missing, in spite of his consistent presence and involvement in its developing stages.

It was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because without their ringleader, the rest of the mind slaves dropped like flies. They no longer had a commander to lead them, and that was their downfall and the egg’s mistake. One that they were glad it made. It was a curse because without Bad, they were never sure of what it was trying to do, or what had happened to the demon. Skeppy couldn’t sleep at night, fearing that Bad had repeated his mistake, only more horrifically. It also meant the egg still had him under its influence, wherever he may be.

With help from Tommy, Tubbo and Techno (who was involved because of Phila), they successfully commandeered a mass rescue mission, where they managed to kidnap all of the egg’s guards and force the Church’s water into their throats and system. They shrieked and burned as if they were being exorcised, passing out straight afterwards, but they always woke up confused and clueless. Most of them stopped remembering things after the egg was fully in control.

Skeppy leaned on the church’s wall, glowering at the choking victims that were coming to. Ant was among them. He was one of Bad’s closer allies in the Eggpire and his trusted confidant. He was here, but Bad was not. Skeppy’d figured he would go wherever Bad went, almost like a desperate puppy. His frown deepened, fists around his arms clenching.

Bad’s still out there, and they would find him no matter what.

Unfortunately, there were hijinks in the plan. There always were. They were surprised that they even made it this far without someone imploding on themselves. The egg was spreading faster on the SMP, despite nearly all of its slaves being taken from it. Now that it’s left without the burden of keeping its servants in check, it utilized its energy to its growth. It was as if it were trying to take over the SMP’s lands before they were quick enough to stop it.

But unlike its guards, the vines had no conscious. Their only goal was to spread, not stop its opposition. They were tough, but they could not defend itself nor the egg as they tore them down like paper. Hoes had suddenly become the most important tools in the SMP, with countless netherite, enchantments and anvils wasted on the tool. Swords and axes were secondary, as the egg was not a living creature.

While the people who’d been controlled by the egg were recovered, they were still at risk of another infection. The egg was picky when it chose its vessels, so there was no doubt that it would try to control them again. With the egg now stronger than before, its energy more focused, any risk was far too dangerous for them to take. But thankfully, Karl managed to devise an improved version of a Hazmat suit, which completely blocked out the egg’s influence using magic and enchantments.

Together, they stormed the egg. The stronger ones were sent to the frontlines, taking down its vines and protecting Tommy and Techno while they destroyed it. Sapnap, Punz, Purpled, Puffy, Skeppy and Sam stayed in the statue room, providing them the cover they needed by destroying the lashing vines. The rest were outside, getting rid of the tendrils that lurked their lands.

The battle was long, the fight was endless. But they did it, with minimal casualties. It was the first time the entire server had worked together to accomplish a goal. They united against a greater enemy. While it was a feat to be celebrated, some couldn’t help but think: hadn’t this happened before? Dream was delusional, but he was right: with him as a larger enemy, the rest of the server put together their differences to unite against _him_.

History had repeated itself, and the main villain was gone. Out of the 30+ people of the world, 2 of them were now out.

Skeppy waited for the outside team to return. He looked around the server himself, but he couldn’t find the silhouette of his best friend. Whilst they were fighting the egg, the demon didn’t show up. They were surprised, as they’d expected Bad to defend the egg, as he was its last line of defense. The cleanup crew reported nothing, either, other than a crap ton of redness and slime.

Bad was still missing. Like Dream, he was defeated because the world came together as one. But unlike Dream, the ending to his story was still a pebble tossed in muddy water. Somewhere out there, but his fate uncertain.

Skeppy hardly slept that night. And the nights after. He stayed over at Ant’s house, because the mansion was far too personal for his liking. He was afraid to wake up to an empty house and an empty bed. With the egg gone and its remains dealt with, the rest of the server started working on repairs and clearing up the goo. The vines had turned black after its source was gone. Sometimes, Skeppy would help, but most of the times he couldn’t bring himself to. The vines had once crept in his body, whispering sweet things to him and led him into a honey trap.

 _He_ was the reason why they lost Bad. Puffy didn’t tell him, but he saw it in her eyes. _If you didn’t become red, Bad would still be here_. He didn’t know if it was his exhausted mind talking or that he could suddenly read minds. He hoped it wasn’t the latter.

Skeppy tormented himself over and over. Why wasn’t it him that was gone? Why did it have to be Bad? Bad was the staple friend of nearly everybody in the server. He bonded with them and made an effort to help others. Skeppy was absent, harsh and cold to whoever tried to befriend him. In their eyes, Bad was more important than he will ever be. But it was because he was Bad’s number one, not anyone else. He’d worn that title with pride, but it was a brand burned on his cheek.

 _If it wasn’t for you, Bad would still be here_.

He tried to look for Bad. He really did. However his progress was impeded, as Sam demanded the previous infected to be monitored and quarantined, in case that the egg still lived in them. As much as Skeppy knew he was only being cautious and can’t fault him for it, some part of him despised the creeper hybrid for locking him in with Ant. They could be out there looking for _their_ friend, but here they were.

He knew Sam and Ant were hiding things from him. Not just about the egg, but also about something else. Something that could relate to Bad’s disappearance. He saw it in their eyes. They knew something he didn’t. They were afraid to talk to each other about it, let alone to someone who wasn’t there. An unknown variable remained and they were afraid to confront it.

It wasn’t until Skeppy started to drill Ant about it that the cat hybrid coughed up the answers he’d been looking for.

Skeppy wished he hadn’t asked at all.

 _“You know—you know Sam, right? He was against the egg and he even tried to stop us. We… we locked him close to the egg, but he still didn’t like it. The egg had no effect on him; so instead of trying to convert him, the egg—the egg tried to_ eat _him. It started dissolving him with some sort of acid because it wanted food more than steak. When we stopped bring food for it, the egg could’ve—”_

Skeppy slammed the door in his face before he could continue. Quarantine or not, he had to look one last time.

Thankfully, everyone else was spread thin around the lands trying to cover as much ground as possible. Not to look for Bad, but for repairs. Everyone was beginning to move on after weeks of mourning, which was what they did with Wilbur and Schlatt, and for some, Dream. It was like they accepted he was gone for good, and it was best that they accept it before grief consumed them. But that also meant they gave up on the demon, despite not knowing his fate.

Skeppy hadn’t given up on Bad just yet. Bad never gave up on him, so who was he to throw in the towel so easily?

He pushed the barricades aside and threw himself down into the spider spawner. The spiders’ hissing kept him alert and aware, but the ominous aura from the tunnels didn’t dissipate. It was a room for mourning and tragedy, in spite of the victory they’d fought for. A painful reminder that the room Bad worked so hard for was the same place that would house his corpse. A coffin where they were ready to pin the final nail in.

The smell was indescribable. It was a mix of smoke, wet fur, rotting meat, gasoline, and charred gunpowder. Added to the void fog close to bedrock, it was completely alien. A place like this shouldn’t exist in their world, but it did. A graveyard to only one. The gray walls were scorched black with wide cracks running down the sides. The stone brick floor was shattered, without an inch of smoothness left.

At the corner of it all was the egg, or what was left of it. A smoldering ruin and a smoking crater. When Tommy and Techno put their minds together, the destruction they could cause was beyond anyone’s imagination. In this case, they were grateful for it.

But what if Bad was in the egg? What if he’d become a part of it? Skeppy would be responsible for killing his friend. All of them were.

Their souls were connected, but the bond between them has been severed ever since Skeppy fell victim to the egg. It’s been silent since. He used to feel emotions like happiness, sadness and sometimes even frustration. But now the other end of this line was an empty void of space. The colors that used to flash rapidly had turned pitch black.

The room was silent and without life. But it was the last memory he had with Bad before he was taken over.

_“You should leave, Skeppy,” Bad threatened, his hand shaking as he held his axe. He was hesitating; the egg wanted to control Skeppy, but he knew Bad was resisting this one order. It was only because of his resistance that Skeppy could escape, but he’d thrown himself into the fire to snap Bad out of it, only for it to backfire twice as fast. He hadn’t expected the demon to toss away his self-preservation so quickly._

Bad wasn’t here. Of course he wouldn’t be. He was here when they fought the egg. Now that the egg’s gone, Bad could be anywhere. The egg could have stashed him away somewhere.

“Skeppy!”

He turned, hearing footsteps and a voice. It was Quackity, bolting down the ruined stairs and straight towards him.

“What, Quackity?” Skeppy frowned. He was going to be dragged back to the house with Ant.

Quackity gripped his arm and began to pull him outside. “You don’t know?” he demanded, hastening his pace. “They found Bad!”

Skeppy stared at him.

They made their way towards the Community House as fast as their legs possibly can. Somewhere along the way, Skeppy had outran the duck hybrid, leaving the man behind him for miles. Skeppy’s lungs ached as raced past paths and buildings, passing scaffolding and chests, but he didn’t stop. He was out of shape after being in the egg’s comatose state.

Bad was back. They’ve found him. Bad is _alive_.

The Community House soon came into view. He knew that Quackity wasn’t lying when he saw a group already gathered there. Not everybody, but the people that were the closest to Bad. Sapnap, George, Sam, Ant, Punz, Ponk and Puffy.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw the expressions on their faces. They weren’t happy or the slightest bit relieved. In fact, they looked concerned, like the storm wasn’t over just yet. What happened to him? Why weren’t they celebrating? When he got close, he found his answer.

Despite the egg’s destruction, Bad was still _white_. And he was staring blankly at the group of people, reminding Skeppy of nothing but _himself_.

The egg had two ways of controlling people. One, it plants a seed of thought into its victims’ minds, promising things that they could otherwise not achieve. Punz was promised chaos. Ant was promised power. Philza was promised redemption, and so on. Their eyes turn red and their skin crawls with vines that give them power. The egg puts a veil over their eyes and changes their perception of reality.

Two, it takes something from the victim. It leeches the victim’s life and personality away, molding them into a perfect soldier for the egg. It does not change anything; it merely takes. The life is taken from them and it is permanently destroyed. Regardless of what happens to the egg, the victim will remain unaffected. The red is stolen from them and the vines control them within their veins. Their only motive is to serve the egg; anything else is meaningless.

Skeppy learned this the hard way.

Bad stared at him with blank eyes, green pupils reduced to an ugly shade of grey. He breathed as if he were seeing things through a foggy dream, letting the tides guide him wherever he went. Skeppy wanted to fall to the floor and sob, but he was frozen still.

Without the egg, Bad was a literal humanoid shell. The things that made him _him_ were stolen from him; from them.

It was all because of Skeppy.

“Bad,” Skeppy choked out. His hands shook as he cupped the demon’s face. He looked just like a human, his void appearance completely gone. What should he say?

_Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?_

_Why did you not fight harder?_

_Why did you give in?_

_Why are you like this?_

_Why didn’t you come back to me?_

Bad didn’t react. He acted as if Skeppy wasn’t there. Skeppy didn’t see any life behind those eyes.

 _Bad’s gone_.

Suffocatingly hot tears blinded Skeppy as he wrapped his arms around his best friend, a million muffled apologies spilling from his lips.


End file.
